The Paraplegic and Physically Disabled Association (PAPDA) received a donation of BND6,000 per year for three years from Premier Dental and Orthodontic Centre (PDOC) in a ceremony at PAPDA house in Kampong Kiarong.
PDOC Directors Dr Murali Raj, Dr Sumaya Rao and Dr Sia Lim Bee as well as Managing Director Dato Paduka Dr Haji Abdul Latip bin Haji Ibrahim, handed over the donation.
PAPDA Deputy Chair Haji Sahari bin Haji Tinggal received the donation.
The donation is expected to help PAPDA maintain and look after its house by recruiting a full-time caretaker and cleaner who will reside at the premises to prevent break-ins at the house. PAPDA has found a husband and wife, who are members of the association, willing to take on the roles of the caretaker and cleaner. Haji Sahari extended PAPDA’s gratitude to PDOC, adding that the association’s executive members met twice to identify programmes and activities that will begin soon.
“The programmes include tailoring training, where one of our wheelchair-bound members can start her business at the PAPDA house,” he said. “This will provide an opportunity to train PAPDA members, who can later join her as workers.”
Another programme is to build a workshop behind the PAPDA house, providing space to train members to repair damaged wheelchairs and make handicrafts for sale.
Haji Sahari also said PAPDA is also looking for individuals or organisations to teach PAPDA members to make cakes, biscuits or kueh using the kitchen at the PAPDA house. “We hope that our members can bake and make kueh to be sold as a source of income,” he said. – James Kon
